


Chastise

by SeekHim



Series: Former Flagship [1]
Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst and Tragedy, Kirk leaves the Enterprise, Mentions of Rape
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-03
Updated: 2016-04-03
Packaged: 2018-05-31 00:11:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,029
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6447652
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SeekHim/pseuds/SeekHim
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The new Captain of the Enterprise has a 'talk' with the Senior staff. AU<br/>Part of my 'New Start' verse</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Arrival

_Stardate 4/24/2258_  
_Shuttlebay of the U.S.S. Enterprise_

"Commanding Officer of the _USS Enterprise_ arriving."

Jason Morrick stepped out of the shuttle and made his way toward the waiting podium. As he walked   
he silently gazed at the large segment of the Flagship's personnel standing at attention.

Not a single one of them smiled and neither did he.

Arriving at the podium he read out loud from his PADD.

 _“To Captain Jason Morrick_  
_Stardate 2258.4.24_

_You are hereby requested and required to take command of the U.S.S Enterprise as of this date._

_Admiral Robert Lessing_  
_Starfleet Command.”_

As he looked out over the faces of his new crew his eyes warmed slightly as he spotted the only one  
who gazed at him steadily.

Newly appointed Chief Medical Officer, Uwasi Mushikiwabo of Rwanda, was both an accomplished   
surgeon and a skilled pathologist. She had high recommendations both from Starfleet Medical and   
all of her previous postings. And many years ago she had successfully treated Morrick's nephew   
when the boy had come down with a mysterious illness after visiting a remote colony with his family.

His eyes grew hard as he gazed at the rest of the crew and harder still as he gazed at the Senior staff.

"All hands, except Senior staff, to their posts," he ordered coolly.

The crew silently filed out. Earlier that day Morrick had attended a small gathering of family   
and colleagues at Starfleet Headquarters to celebrate his new command. For the crew of the _Enterprise_   
there would be no ceremony or reception.

"Dr. Mushikiwabo, please report to Medbay. I'll be dropping by to speak to you later. Commander Spock,   
Lieutenant Commander Scott, Lieutenant Uhura, Lieutenant Sulu and Ensign Chekov, report to the   
Briefing Room. Remain standing when you get there."


	2. Briefing Room

_Enterprise Briefing Room_

The _Enterprise_ senior staff stood at attention in the Briefing Room. Commander Spock's face was his   
usual stoic mask but the rest of them radiated guilt, dread and a desire to be anywhere else but there.

Captain Morrick stood in front of them. For a few moments he silently gazed at them, face expressionless,  
before finally speaking in a quiet voice.

"So. This is the Senior staff of the _U.S.S. Enterprise_. The crew that defeated Nero. The crew that saved Earth.  
The crew that flies the finest ship in the Fleet. And the crew that betrayed their Captain."

Everyone, except for Commander Spock, flinched.

"People are calling what happened the _Enterprise Incident_ ," Morrick continued. "I disagree with that title.  
I personally met with Kirk, I saw first-hand the damage that was done to him, both by his rapists   
and especially by you."

Morrick's eyes turned to flint and his next words were a hiss. "You were Starfleet officers. Senior officers  
of the _Flagship_. It's bad enough that the rest of the crew acted the way they did but you were his _Senior staff_.  
The ones that he worked with the most closely. The ones that he should have been able to trust the most."

Morrick's next words were thick with disappointment. "It was ten days from the time that he was   
raped until the time that he decided to leave the _Enterprise_. It was another week before he actually left.   
All together that's seventeen days. Over two weeks. _Two weeks_ when your Captain was hurting and   
_you didn’t notice or care."_

There were flinches again.

"During all of that time none of you gave him so much as a kind word." He turned a disappointed look   
toward Lieutenant Commander Scott. "Instead you gave him amused, sarcastic comments."

The Chief Engineer looked downward in shame.

The gaze Morrick turned on Lieutenant Uhura paralyzed her. "Or you gave him harsh words and   
condemnation."

The look he turned on Commander Spock was withering. "When he tried to ask you for help you told   
him to keep his personal affairs to himself."

The Commander finally flinched. Very faint, barely noticeable, but there.

Morrick turned to Lieutenant Sulu, "Or you avoided him, having more important things to do."   
He stepped closer to the Helmsman. "This was not only your _Captain,_ this was the same man   
_who saved your life_. And you couldn't spare a moment of your time _to even listen to him."_

The Helmsman's face was as pale as a ghost.

Morrick looked each of them in the eyes and his next words were quiet and measured but they rang   
like a shout. "He was your Captain, you were his Senior staff. He trusted you, but when he needed   
you the most you turned your backs on him. You _abandoned_ him. And in the process you hurt him   
far more than his rapists ever could. That was far more than an _incident_. It was nothing less than   
despicable.”

Ensign Chekov was trembling slightly.

Morrick continued: his words flat and cold. "By rights you should be dishonorably discharged   
or stripped of rank. At the very least removed from active duty and confined to Earth indefinitely.

"Starfleet decided not to do any of those things for the simple reason that we can't spare you.   
We lost thousands of officers at Vulcan; we need every single member we have left and each   
of you has the highest scores in your respective fields. Kicking you out would only weaken   
Starfleet further and we can't afford that.

"Many thought that you should be split up and sent to different ships. But it was decided to keep   
you here on the _Enterprise_ for two reasons. Number one: this is the Flagship, it needs the finest   
minds and hands in the Fleet and once again you have the highest scores in your fields.   
Sending you to other, less important, ships would mean under-equipping the Flagship, something   
else that we can’t afford. Number two: Starfleet decided that it's best to keep troublemakers   
like you in one place."

At the word _'troublemakers'_ there was another collective flinch.

"So all of you are staying here and that means that you're _mine_ to deal with." His next words were   
questioning. "And how _should_ I deal with you? Should I assign you to Gamma shift permanently?   
Have you serve under close supervision? Have your privileges limited? Deny you shore leaves?  
Restrict you to quarters when off duty?"

Morrick paused. "It may surprise you to learn that I'm not going to do any of those things. In fact,   
I'm not going to punish you at all. Because we're way beyond that." His eyes now were not only   
hard but sad as well. "In all my years in Starfleet, _no crew_ has ever betrayed their Captain's trust   
as you have." He continued heavily, "And no punishment that I could give you would begin to mend   
that."

The senior staff remained silent and still but the guilt and shame in their eyes spoke volumes.

Morrick sighed. "I've thought long and hard about each of you and the rest of this crew. I’ve tried   
to understand why you acted the way you did. Kirk was the youngest Captain Starfleet has ever had.   
Maybe that was part of the problem. Maybe deep down you still saw him as the cocky cadet who   
cheated on the _Kobayashi Maru."_

He turned to Lieutenant Uhura. "Maybe you still saw him as a dumb hick who only had sex with   
farm animals."

The Chief of Communications looked as if she had been stabbed.

Morrick turned to Commander Spock "And maybe you still saw him as the troublesome cadet   
who cheated on your test, flouted regulations, defied logic...and was rewarded for it. Well, you   
must be experiencing great satisfaction now, Mr. Spock, because you certainly paid him back.   
He emotionally compromised you, you helped to compromise him. He was promoted instead   
of you and now, thanks in part to you, he's gone and may never hold another command again.   
Congratulations."

The Vulcan's face remained expressionless but his eyes gave away the storm of emotions within him.

"Most of you are young. Some of you hadn't even graduated yet when you became officers on this ship.  
The rest of you are among the Academy's most distinguished graduates. And some of you are among  
the youngest officers Starfleet has ever had. All of that is due to your exceptional skills. All of you are  
still here because Starfleet needs those skills and the Flagship needs to be crewed by the brightest   
and the best.

"But being the brightest doesn't necessarily mean being the best. Being logical doesn't necessarily   
mean being right. And being brilliant doesn't necessarily mean being wise. In fact the very opposite   
is often true."

His gaze grew slightly thoughtful and concerned. "Too often brilliance can lead to arrogance.   
Brilliance and arrogance are very bad combinations. Combined with youth it's even worse."

His eyes once again grew hard. "But arrogance, even pride, is something that none of you have   
any right to feel. You and the rest of the crew of the _Enterprise_ are the brightest, but you're _not_   
the best. You're a brilliant crew but you're not a _good crew_. Because you broke the one rule that   
_makes_ a crew a good crew- never let your Captain down."

Faces were pale. Ensign Chekov's lip was trembling.

"Kirk is gone. _I'm_ your Captain now and things are going to be _very_ different. I've been a Starfleet   
officer since before most of you were born. When I was still an ensign I led an away team comprised   
solely of fellow ensigns to rescue an ambassador and his family. When I was a lieutenant I took   
charge of the bridge of the _Defiance_ when its Captain and First Officer were killed. I've been in   
the trenches and faced death more times than I can count. So believe me when I say that I know   
how to handle troublesome, insubordinate crewmembers, like yourselves. Kirk trusted you too   
quickly and he paid the price. I won't make that mistake. You're going to have to _earn_ my trust   
and that will _not_ be an easy."

His eyes grew harder still. "I'm going to be watching all of you like a _hawk_. Day and night, both   
on duty and off, I'm going to be breathing down your necks. A _single_ transgression, one _hint_   
of disrespect, and you're off this ship."

"While you're onboard this ship you will be under my constant scrutiny. But you'll be grateful."  
At seeing the slightly puzzled looks in their eyes he continued. "You'll be grateful for every minute  
that you spend onboard the _Enterprise_. Because the scrutiny that you'll endure while you're _on_ this  
ship will be a picnic compared to the scrutiny that you'll endure while you're _off_ it."

He noted their eyes widening with realization and dismay.

"You betrayed your Captain and everybody knows it. By now practically everyone in the Federation  
has heard about the _Enterprise Incident_. No matter how hard _I’ll_ be on you, that's nothing compared  
to how hard _others_ will be."

His eyes grew sad again even as his voice remained hard. "You're my crew and I'm responsible for you.  
Even though you betrayed your former Captain, _I_ won't betray _you._   I was one of those who spoke   
in favor of you remaining on the _Enterprise._ No matter how hard I'll be on you, you'll always know that  
I at least have your best interests at heart.

“Most of the people that you'll encounter off of this ship will have no such claims. If you thought that  
the stares, whispers and comments that Kirk endured before he left the _Enterprise_ were hard, that's  
nothing compared to the ones that you'll get. And unlike Kirk, every single one of them will be deserved.

 _"That_ will be your punishment. Knowing what you've done and knowing that everyone else knows it as well.”

His voice was heavy once again. "You betrayed your Captain's trust and in the process the trust of many.  
You not only lost _his_ respect, you lost the respect of everyone in Starfleet, if not the Federation.  
And you're going to find that it will take you a _very_ long time to earn those things back. If indeed you  
ever do.

"Dismissed."

END


End file.
